What Have You Done?
by Amavi
Summary: Mithos Yggdrasil died a fallen hero- but he died for what he believed in. Only Genis could see the good that was still in his heart, and in the last brief seconds he chose to give the young half-elf a glimpse inside his head...
1. Mithos and Genis

/*

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Tales of Symphonia. What more is there to say?

**A/N:** Sorry it's been a while... I was on vacation and it's been weird getting used to my own time zone again. haha

This one was written earlier but I touched it up and decided to post it because... well I have no idea why. xD

I'll just say this: Mithos Yggdrasill's most crucial flaw was not his hatred of humans, or his inability to fix his mistakes. It was that he was unable to trust his friends-- he closed his heart by refusing to listen to anyone and became stagnant within himself, unable to learn or grow. That's part of why the ending is so tragic no matter how many times you've heard the story... there was just no way anyone could reach him anymore.

Theme Music: This Isn't the Time (ToS 2)

*/

* * *

.

.

_Genis and Mithos… they were so alike._

_But, Genis never lost his sister. He wasn't afraid of the light. And he never gained that sort of power… Genis was open, friendly, trusting, and of course, terribly naïve…_

.

.

.

A warm sensation pulsed through the young half-elf's body as the Cruxis Crystal in his hand began to fuse with his skin. Everything in the world around him began to fade, and for a moment his mind touched with the four thousand year old hero's…

"What have you done to me? I have no body of my own…"

"Is that you, Mithos…?"

"Yes."

"What are you doing…?"

"I'm talking to you. I want to know from you Genis… why did you…do this to me?"

"What you did was wrong, that's why we had to kill you."

"Genis… what would you have done, in my place? Can't you see… this world would have been perfect…"

"I know… there wouldn't have been any discrimination…"

"You sound hesitant, what is wrong?" The young blonde-haired boy swirled around his mind, as Genis tried to separate what parts of memories were his from those which belonged to the other…

"It seems brilliant, but… somewhere inside of me I know that people are dying… because of what you've done."

"You think I would kill people without a reason, Genis? I just want peace…"

"I know that. But you're bringing harm to the world…"

"Things must be sacrificed, to gain peace. Instead of being claimed by war, they are being claimed by peace…"

"I can see it, Mithos…"

"I know you can. That's why I've chosen you, because I know you will understand…."

"I want to understand…"

.

..

…

"Genis! Snap out of it!" he heard a voice, calling him away from his blonde-haired friend. He was curious, he stretched his consciousness to hear him better…

"No Genis, stop. Don't listen to him, he is a fool…"

"Who is he…?"

"He's a human, Genis. We're half-elves. We are not alike…"

"But I wonder what he's trying to tell me…"

"Don't listen. He spreads lies, and his dreams have no ground in reality… what he hopes for will never-"

"Let me just see what he's saying, and then I…"

"No, Genis. Just trust me on this, just listen to me…"

"I want to know what's out there…"

"Genis. If we're friends, then listen to me now. He will lie to you! He is going to tell you things that seem to make sense. He will trick you…"

"I just want to see… who he… is…"

"No!" Mithos screamed, and Genis felt him thrashing around, blocking out all sound… he felt pain as his friend began wrenching his mind around, confusing him…

"What are you doing… to us? It hurts you as much as it hurts me…"

"Just promise you won't listen to Lloyd! He is _wrong_…"

"Why are you… augh… why are you so afraid to let me listen…?" It felt as if Mithos were making knots out of his brainstem, and making corkscrews with the tendons in his eyeballs. Every part of his head ached with the violent jerking and bumping the swirling memories inflicted inside his head. Ah, yes, they were both inside his head… suddenly with that thought all the pain stopped. A voice came through, clear as day…

"Genis, if you can hear me, just listen. Remember who you are! You're my best friend, Genis! Don't let Mithos trick you…" Lloyd was calling, summoning him from outside his body. He could scarcely remember the face that went with that voice, but he knew he trusted him…

"Genis, I tried to warn you… he's convincing, isn't he? Lloyd thinks I'm evil…"

"Why didn't you want me to listen? We're friends, you shouldn't have to worry… I have no reason to believe him."

"But what if you did, would you side with him too?"

"I won't leave my friends behind, and you're my friend Mithos. I won't leave you…"

"Really…? But you hear Lloyd, don't you? He's trying to change your mind… he's going to take you away, he thinks I'm trying to trick you… yet you humble yourself when he tells you to listen! Why can't you refuse him?"

"But he's never done anything to hurt us…"

"What are you saying? He's the one who made us fight, Genis. He is responsible for killing me!"

"K-killing… you… ah, that's right… but…"

"He and I can't both be your friends."

"You said that he was going to trick me, but now… you say he's really my friend?"

"No. If he was really your friend, he would listen to you if you told him to go away…"

"He won't go away?"

"No. He is persistent because he wants you to believe his lies. I want to protect you…"

"But I didn't decide yet… I haven't heard his story yet…"

"So you choose to listen to him, instead of listening to my advice?"

"Why can't I listen? I will always be your friend, you don't have to worry…"

"Why must you abandon me?"

"I'm not abandoning you, Mithos! I just want to hear…"

"Refusing me is the same as leaving me behind. I don't want to hear Lloyd's stupid ideas. They will never come to anything, you have to trust me Genis…"

"Why can't you just let me listen to Lloyd, then? If he's a liar, I can find out for myself…"

"No, Genis. You don't understand, after all…"

"I want to understand, Mithos…"

.

..

…

"Genis, please… come back to us! It's me, Lloyd! I know this is going to be hard for you, but I trust you, okay?"

The words swirled in and out, and finally a picture of Lloyd floated to the surface… a human boy with spiky brown hair… wearing red, and he had a nice smile. He had a pet with him, a strange animal he called a dog… and on the weekends he liked to… to…

"Stop it, Genis. Don't try to remember him!"

"Why not?"

"I don't want to see it."

"Why, Mithos…? It's just a face, just a person…"

"No. No, he's a _human_ Genis, he's inferior. He's stupid, and weak. And he is lying to you…"

"He said he trusts me…"

"Of course! He'd say anything to take you away from me…"

"This doesn't make any sense, Mithos… why can't you just have faith in me? Our friendship is strong…"

"Why must you lie to yourself?"

"…what? Mithos… what are you saying…?"

"I'm scared, Genis. You said you're my friend, but what if he takes you away… why can't you just trust me? "

"Mithos… I want to understand you, but every time I ask a question you accuse me of betraying you. Never once have you given me a chance to prove that we're friends. Never once have you reached out to me, and trusted me… so how can you ask me to trust you? How can I know who you are, if I can't hear anyone else?"

"You don't need anyone else, Genis. We are just fine, you and me. We don't need those filthy creatures…"

"Why don't you give them a chance, Mithos? Why don't you listen to them…?"

"They are cruel, Genis. They will try to put you under a spotlight, and watch you until you falter. They will throw you away if you're not what they wanted…"

"Lloyd would never do that!"

"How can you be sure, Genis? Can you really say that with so much confidence?"

"Yes…"

"You're just as bad as he is. You're just as blind…"

"How can I trust you if you don't trust me too? Mithos… I want to be friends with you, but how can I when you're like this…?"

"Now what? You are going to take back what you said? You're going to leave me?"

A green strand of hair began to swirl through his mind, a beautiful face, green leaves in her hair… she was a tall woman… she held a staff. She was kneeling, praying… Genis felt a smile, and leaned in closer to hear the words she was whispering as her long hair twirled with the wind…

Suddenly, she was dead. There was blood, and she was coughing, it mixed badly with the green, and suddenly she was in the sky, a swirling blue flower, iridescent, glowing magnificently…

"Wh-what am I seeing?"

"I'm showing you my sister… she left me, too… she died by human hands, but I was going to bring her back… if only you hadn't killed me, Genis…"

"I… killed you?"

"Yes… you, and your friends. You never gave me a chance…"

"No, that's not… true…"

"You know it is, Genis. You could have given me more time, to show you…"

"It's never too late, Mithos. You can show me now, while we're connected like this…"

"What does it matter? You don't care about me anyway."

"I never said that! I never… wanted it to end… like this…"

"In the end, you weren't able to trust me Genis. You believed in Lloyd all over again…"

"I want to hear your story, Mithos…"

"No you don't. You just feel pity now. I don't want any of it."

A sudden, agonizing pain flooded his head, as the seams of his memories were being seared apart. Mithos and Genis, Genis and Mithos, they were separate once more. It felt as if he were bleeding, papercuts with vinegar and salt… it burned, and Genis knew that Mithos felt it too… how could he hurt himself like this? How could he…

"Goodbye, Genis. Some friend you are…"

.

..

…

"Augh!!" Genis heard his own voice, felt himself back inside his own body, alone this time. He didn't dare open his eyes- they were too filled with water.

"Genis! A-are you alright?"

"Lloyd? Is that you?"

"Yeah. Everything's okay now, the Cruxis Crystal finally came off."

"Y-yeah…" Genis opened his eyes suddenly, and watched as Lloyd took the stone in his hand and sliced it apart with his swords.

"H-hey, why are you crying? Does it hurt somewhere?"

"N-no… it's just… Mithos was… so lonely…"

Lloyd hugged his friend, and closed his eyes. He was so thankful for everyone- Genis, Collette, Sheena, Raine- everyone, even Zelos… even his father, who had helped them despite betraying them in the past… the boy in red knew that even if he was defeated in the end, he would still be happy with his life. He was well aware of how much he depended on his friends, and how they had managed to change the world together, by the help of each other. Lloyd held Genis tightly, and wondered at how Yggdrasill could have believed in his work all that time, had all those associates and underlings and even founded a church, and still ended up the way he did… that man had died completely alone.

.

.

* * *

**A/N:** I'll post the epilogue soon, it's just some additional food for thought =)


	2. Epilogue

/*

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Tales of Symphonia or its plots, characters, etc....

Here's the rest of the story, despite my sister's apparent hatred of this one. lol

*/

* * *

EPILOGUE:

"Genis, what have you done…? I wanted us to be friends…"

"Mithos! How are you still able to-" the small silver-haired boy looked around, wondering how the ancient hero could still reach him…

"Genis, he's gone…" Lloyd was trying to comfort his friend, but he couldn't understand why he was so sympathetic towards Yggdrasil, the guy who had saved the world, and then forsaken it… why was Genis shedding so many tears?

"We can still be friends, Mithos…" Genis looked up at the sky in wonder and sadness… was this all in his mind? If Lloyd couldn't hear it…

"I would have given you a future with Cruxis, Genis. I would have given you wings… I would have made you an _angel. _We could have shared your body… if only you had listened to me…"

"But I am listening Mithos… I'm listening right now!"

"No, you're distracted; you listen to Lloyd too. You feel the pull of his words and succumb to it!"

"No…"

"What has Lloyd ever done for you that could equal my offers? I would have given you true power, Genis. Together we would have been able to change this world, and make it a better place…"

"Better? By doing the same things you've always done?"

"Genis, if you had only listened, I would have given you everything. I liked you. I created the worlds, I founded Cruxis, I ended the wars and made these two planets into everything they are today… do you realize who it is you've abandoned? You have betrayed your own God."

"I… I don't think it's like that…"

"Your weakness allowed Lloyd to destroy me- he only wanted my Eternal Sword in the end. He fought me for my power, he wants to undo everything that I have stood for, he wants to destroy both worlds. I made them separate to _save _them, but he doesn't understand…"

"Then tell him what he needs to know! There is still time to save everyone…"

"I refuse. I can no more tell Lloyd to listen than I can tell you… in the end, we're still enemies, Genis."

"I am still your friend, even if you hate me… Mithos, I want to be your friend because I like you, too. I can see good in you…"

"What is good, Genis, and what is evil? How can you see good in me and still follow Lloyd? We are completely opposite one another…"

"No, you're so much the same! You both want to end discrimination, in the best way you know how...!"

"But only one of us is right and the other has to be wrong. Who do you side with, Genis?"

"You both have solutions, but Lloyd's will save the people from needless suffering…"

"Needless? Hah. They will suffer far more from warfare, discrimination will not disappear… it will only grow worse with time…"

"You should give people a second chance, Mithos. You should trust them… maybe this time they won't use technology to fight…!"

"That's a laugh… trust them? They don't deserve it. They will throw my trust away at the first chance they get."

"How can you be so negative?"

"How can you be so blind? You know nothing about people, Genis. You don't know them like I do… people are despicable, and they never change. The world has too many of them anyway…"

"So you think it's okay to kill people? Throw them in human ranches, letting one world suffer while the other grows stronger… how can you-"

"Genis, if you don't agree with me... I am not going to argue with you anymore… I still don't believe anything I've done was wrong. I will keep on believing this way, until the day I truly die."

"When will that be, Mithos?"

"Actually… I… don't know."


End file.
